Semi-rigid container with a bottom of improved stability

Abstract

A container is disclosed, having a substantially V-shaped creasing pattern on the bottom end wall portion to promote an inward bending of the bottom end wall to improve the stability of the container. The container has a V-shaped crease line on the bottom end wall of the container, the apex of the "V" pointing generally away from the center of the bottom end wall.

I claim: 
     
       1. A laminate web of semi-rigid material, the web comprising a plurality of prescored regions, each of the prescored regions defining a blank for forming a container with a bottom of improved flatness and stability and comprising: first, second and third adjacent side wall portions, the first side wall portion being joined to the second side wall portion along a crease line and the second side wall portion being joined to the third side wall portion along another crease line;   a bottom end wall panel joined to the second side wall portion along a third crease line; and   first and second corner panels each joined by respective crease lines to the bottom end wall panel and to a respective one of the first and third side wall portions;   the bottom end wall panel having a substantially V-shaped crease line which extends from a first point, adjacent to the first corner panel, toward the second side wall portion to a second point and from the second point away from the second side wall portion to a third point adjacent to the second corner panel.   
     
     
       2. The web of claim 1, wherein, in each of the prescored regions, the V-shaped crease line is situated adjacent to the portion of the bottom end wall panel opposite the second side wall portion. 
     
     
       3. The web of claim 1, wherein, in each of the prescored regions, the bottom end wall panel has an additional straight crease line extending from the first point to the third point. 
     
     
       4. The web of claim 1, wherein each prescored region has an upper edge opposite the bottom end wall portion and is joined along the upper edge to an identical prescored region. 
     
     
       5. The web of claim 3, wherein each prescored region has an upper edge opposite the bottom end wall portion and is joined along the upper edge to an identical prescored region. 
     
     
       6. A sheet of a semi-rigid material for forming a container with a bottom of improved flatness and stability, the sheet of material comprising: first, second, and third adjacent side wall portions, the first side wall portion being joined to the second side wall portion along a crease line and the second side wall portion being joined to the third side wall portion along another crease line;   a bottom end wall panel joined to the second side wall portion along a third crease line; and   first and second corner panels each joined by respective crease lines to the bottom end wall panel and to a respective one of the first and third side wall portions;   the bottom end wall panel having a substantially V-shaped crease line which extends from a first point adjacent to the first corner panel toward the second side wall portion to a second point, and from the second point away from the second side wall portion to a third point adjacent to the second corner panel.   
     
     
       7. The sheet of material of claim 6, wherein the V-shaped crease line is situated adjacent to the portion of the bottom end wall panel opposite the second side wall portion. 
     
     
       8. The sheet of material of claim 6, wherein the bottom end wall panel has an additional straight crease line extending from the first point to the third point. 
     
     
       9. The sheet of material of claim 6, wherein the sheet has an upper edge opposite the bottom end wall portion and is joined along the upper edge to an identical sheet. 
     
     
       10. The sheet of material of claim 8, wherein the sheet has an upper edge opposite the bottom end wall portion and is joined along the upper edge to an identical sheet. 
     
     
       11. The sheet of material of claim 9, wherein the sheet is a blank for forming a container with a bottom of improved flatness and stability. 
     
     
       12. The sheet of material of claim 10, wherein the sheet is a blank for forming a container with a bottom of improved flatness and stability. 
     
     
       13. The sheet of material of claim 6, wherein the sheet is a web having a prescored region including the first, second, and third adjacent side wall portions, the bottom end wall panel having a substantially V-shaped crease line, and the first and second corner panels; the web also having at least one additional prescored region identical to the first prescored region. 
     
     
       14. A sheet of a semi-rigid material for forming a container with a bottom of improved flatness and stability, the sheet of material comprising: first, second, and third adjacent side wall portions, the first side wall portion being joined to the second side wall portion along a first crease line and the second side wall portion being joined to the third side wall portion along a second crease line;   a top end wall panel having first, second, third, and fourth consecutive sides, the third side joined to the second side wall portion along a third crease line;   a bottom end wall panel having first, second, third, and fourth consecutive sides, the first side joined to the second side wall portion along a fourth crease line;   a first corner panel joined to the first side wall portion along a fifth crease line and joined to the fourth side of the top end wall panel along a sixth crease line, the first corner panel being bisected into two triangular areas by a seventh crease line extending from the intersection of the fifth and sixth crease lines to the opposite corner of the panel;   a second corner panel joined to the third side wall portion along an eighth crease line and joined to the second side of the top end wall panel along a ninth crease line, the second corner panel being bisected into two triangular areas by a tenth crease line extending from the intersection of the eighth and ninth crease lines to the opposite corner of the panel;   a third corner panel joined to the first side wall portion along an eleventh crease line and joined to the fourth side of the bottom end wall panel along a twelfth crease line, the third corner panel being bisected into two triangular areas by a thirteenth crease line extending from the intersection of the eleventh and twelfth crease lines to the opposite corner of the panel; and   a fourth corner panel joined to the third side wall portion along a fourteenth crease line and joined to the second side of the bottom end wall panel along a fifteenth crease line, the fourth corner panel being bisected into two triangular areas by a sixteenth crease line extending from the intersection of the fourteenth and fifteenth crease lines to the opposite corner of the panel;   the bottom end wall panel having a seventeenth crease line defining substantially a "V" and extending from a first point adjacent to the twelfth crease line toward the first side of the bottom end wall panel to a second point between the second and fourth sides of the bottom end wall panel, and from the second point toward the third side of the bottom end wall panel to a third point adjacent to the fifteenth crease line.   
     
     
       15. The sheet of material of claim 14, wherein an additional crease line extends in a straight line from said first point to said third point. 
     
     
       16. A sheet of a semi-rigid material for forming a container with a bottom of improved flatness and stability, the sheet of material comprising: first, second, and third adjacent side wall portions, the first side wall portion being joined to the second side wall portion along a crease line and the second side wall portion being joined to the third side wall portion along another crease line;   a bottom end wall panel joined to the second side wall portion along a third crease line; and   first and second corner panels each joined by respective crease lines to the bottom end wall panel and to a respective one of the first and third side wall portions;   the bottom end wall panel having a generally pentagonal border portion opposite the second side wall portion, the border portion including a bottom sealing fin panel.   
     
     
       17. The sheet of material of claim 16, wherein the border portion is the bottom sealing fin panel. 
     
     
       18. The sheet of material of claim 16, wherein the border portion includes the bottom sealing fin panel and a triangular area adjacent to said panel and having an apex pointing generally toward the center of the bottom end wall panel and toward the second side wall portion. 
     
     
       19. A container made of a semi-rigid material and having a bottom of improved flatness and stability, the container comprising: side wall portions, each of which is joined to two adjacent ones of the side wall portions;   a bottom end wall joined to the side wall portions; and   a bottom sealing fin extending across the bottom end wall;   the bottom end wall having a substantially V-shaped crease line extending across the bottom end wall; and the bottom sealing fin being joined to the bottom end wall adjacent to the V-shaped crease line.   
     
     
       20. A container made of a semi-rigid material and having a bottom of improved flatness and stability, the container comprising: side wall portions, each of which is joined to two adjacent ones of the side wall portions;   a bottom end wall having edges joined to respective ones of the side wall portions;   a bottom sealing fin extending across the bottom end wall; and   dog ears at two opposite ones of the edges of the bottom end wall and folded in against the bottom end wall;   the bottom end wall having a substantially V-shaped crease line so located as to cause bending of the bottom end wall toward the container interior when the dog ears are folded in against the bottom end wall.   
     
     
       21. A container made of a semi-rigid material and having a bottom of improved flatness and stability, the container comprising: side wall portions, each of which is joined to two adjacent ones of the side wall portions;   a bottom end wall having first, second, third and fourth consecutive edges, each edge being joined to a respective one of the side wall portions;   a bottom sealing fin extending across the bottom end wall from a region adjacent to the middle of the fourth edge of the bottom end wall to a second region adjacent to the middle of the second edge of the bottom end wall;   the bottom end wall having a first and a second substantially V-shaped crease line;   the first crease line extending from a first point, adjacent to the fourth edge, toward the first edge to a second point, and from the second point away from the first edge to a third point adjacent to the second edge;   the second crease line extending from a fourth point, adjacent to the fourth edge, toward the third edge to a fifth point, and from the fifth point away from the third edge to a sixth point adjacent to the second edge; and   the bottom sealing fin being joined to the bottom end wall between the first and second crease lines.   
     
     
       22. A container according to claim 21, wherein the bottom end wall has a third and fourth crease line, each extending in a straight line, respectively, from the first point to the third point and from the fourth point to the sixth point; the third and fourth crease lines defining the junction of the bottom sealing fin and the bottom end wall. 
     
     
       23. A container according to claim 21, wherein the first and second substantially V-shaped crease lines define the junction of the bottom sealing fin and the bottom end wall, whereby the bottom sealing fin is roughly triangular. 
     
     
       24. A container made of a semi-rigid material and having a bottom of improved flatness and stability, the container comprising: first, second, third and fourth consecutive side wall portions, each side wall portion being joined to two others of the side wall portions along a respective vertical edge;   a top end wall having first, second, third and fourth consecutive sides, the first side being joined to the third side wall portion along a first horizontal edge, and the third side being joined to the first side wall portion along a second horizontal edge;   a first top dog ear joined to both the fourth side wall portion and the fourth side of the top end wall along a third horizontal edge, and a second top dog ear joined to both the second side wall portion and the second side of the top end wall along a fourth horizontal edge, each of the top dog ears having first and second surfaces and having a sealing fin on each of those surfaces, and the top dog ears being folded over against the fourth and the second side wall portion, respectively;   a bottom end wall having first, second, third and fourth consecutive sides, the first side being joined to the first side wall portion along a fifth horizontal edge and the third side being joined to the third side wall portion along a sixth horizontal edge;   a first bottom dog ear joined to both the fourth side wall portion and the fourth side of the bottom end wall along a seventh horizontal edge, and a second bottom dog ear joined to both the second side wall portion and the second side of the bottom end wall along an eighth horizontal edge, each of the bottom dog ears having first and second surfaces and having a sealing fin on each of those surfaces, and the bottom dog ears being folded over against the bottom end wall;   a first side sealing fin extending along the center of the fourth side wall portion from the top end wall to the bottom end wall;   a second side sealing fin extending along the center of the second side wall portion from the top end wall to the bottom end wall; and   a bottom sealing fin extending across the center of the bottom end wall from the first bottom dog ear to the second bottom dog ear;   the bottom end wall having a first and a second substantially V-shaped crease line, each of the crease lines running across the bottom end wall adjacent to the bottom sealing fin;   the first crease line extending from a first point, adjacent to the fourth side of the bottom end wall, toward the first side to a second point, and from the second point away from the first side of the bottom end wall to a third point adjacent to the second side; and   the second crease line extending from a fourth point, adjacent to the fourth side of the end wall toward the third side to a fifth point, and from the fifth point away from the third side of the end wall to a sixth point adjacent to the second side;   the V-shaped crease lines causing an inward bending of the bottom end wall at locations to accommodate at least a portion of the volume of the dog ears for improving the stability of the container bottom.